Jungle Book Ceremony For Accepting New Cubs #2

PEOPLE REQUIRED: 1 ) Akela, the leader of the wolf pack (the Cubmaster) 2) Shere Khan, the evil tiger

PROPS: 1) Can of Sterno (the Sterno may be placed in a mock campfire so that the can is not visible) 2) Candles for each boy 3) Matches to light Sterno

HINTS: 1 ) Because Shere Khan is not seen by the audience and may be slightly farther away than Akela and the cubs, he should have a very loud voice. If you are using a microphone but only have one, give it to Shere Khan.

2) The easiest way to attach the badges to the boys is to have the badge stapled to the small cardboard card it comes with. Make a small slit in the cardboard so that the card may be slipped over the button on the pocket of the shirt. Do this ahead of time! The cardboard is quite hard and requires a knife to cut the slit. Have some straight pins for backup in case the boy has not yet been able to get a uniform (they are often sold out at the beginning of the year) and is not wearing a shirt that has a button on it.

3) Have a spare Bobcat badge or two on hand for boys that pop up after the badges have been ordered (this can also save you from having to do another Bobcat ceremony next pack meeting). If you use a spare badge, make sure that a replacement badge is ordered in the cub's name. Otherwise, his records at the council headquarters will not be current!

4) If you are using this ceremony for the first time, practice the wolf howl by using it as a spirit cheer at the beginning of the pack meeting.

5) Dim the lighting at the beginning of the ceremony for better atmosphere and so that the Sterno and candles will show up better. Akela: The moon is full, just as it was long ago on that night in the jungle when Mowgli first joined the Seeonee wolf pack. It has been many

years since Mowgli returned from living with the wolves. After he returned, he taught us many of the lessons he learned while in the jungle.

The most important was that the strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf. That is why we are here tonight in this council ring. Tonight we have many young boys who want to join this pack. After they have joined, they will have the strength of the pack, and the pack will gain from their strength. But before they join, we must be

sure that they know the Promise of the Cubs, the Law of the Pack, and the signs that we use. So let us begin. Parents, bring forward these man cubs.

(Akela calls out the names of the bobcat candidates. Parents and bobcat candidates come forward and face the rest of the pack.)

AKELA: First, you boys have studied the Cub Scout promise. Are you boys ready to make that promise now in front of the pack? (Akela shakes head in yes motion. Boys should also shake their heads yes.)

(Shere Khan now interrupts from an unseen place offstage.)

SHERE KHAN: The man-cubs are mine! Give them to me!

AKELA: Shere Khan! The Evil One! Mowgli knew you in the jungle as an evil tiger and you tried to catch him whenever you could. We know that you still-hunt man-cubs, even here in Pack . You may not still be a real tiger, but the Evil One still hunts, doesn't he?

SHERE KHAN: The man-cubs are mine! Give them to me!

AKELA: Silence, Shere Khan, you evil one! Mowgli knew you as an evil tiger, but these boys will meet you in other disguises:

They will meet you as drugs.

They will meet you as street gangs.

They will meet you as vandalism.

They will meet you as lying.

They will meet you as dirty language.

They will meet you as cheating in school.

AKELA: You will try to tell them that because their eyes and hair and skin come in all the colors of God's good earth that some of them are better than others. But they will learn from the strength of the pack that this is another of your lies. You will try to tell them because God has given them different gifts, that some of them are better than others. Another evil lie.

Yes, some will be stronger, some will be faster, some will be taller, some will be more nimble, some will be more clever, some will be more patient, and some will have other special gifts. But when we join their different gifts together within their dens and within the whole pack, they will learn the power that working together can bring to them. They will learn that through the strength of being different but still working together, they never have to fear you. But before he left the jungle, Mowgli had to fight with you by himself, alone and without the strength of the pack. But, Mowgli also knew the secret of the red flower, which he used to defeat you when he had to fight you by himself. So tonight, in addition to the strength of the pack, we will also give these boys the secret of the red flower, so that even by themselves, they will be able to stand against you. (Light can of Sterno, give each boy a candle. Have each boy come forward and light his candle from the Sterno can.)

AKELA: Mowgli had to use the red flower to defeat Shere Khan. Tonight, you have received your own red flower. But since Shere Khan no longer stalks you boys in the form of a tiger, the secret of the red flower must be even stronger than just the secret of fire. The secret of the red flower is just this: all the darkness in the world cannot stand against the light of one red flower. After tonight, you will carry the light of the red flower inside of you. The light of your red flower will come from the five things you are about to promise. You will promise to:

1. Do your best

2. Do your duty to God

3. Do your duty to your country

4. Help other people

5. And obey the Law of the Pack.

As you keep the parts of this promise, the fire of the red flower will burn brightly within you, and Shere Khan will not dare come close to that flame. Are you ready to make the promise to yourself, your parents, and to the pack?

(Akela shakes head in yes motion. Boys should also shake their heads yes.)

AKELA: Then hold your red flower in your left hand, give the Cub-Scout sign with your right hand and repeat the Cub-Scout Promise with me.

I promise to do my best,

to do my duty to God and my country,

to help other people,

and to obey the Law of the Pack.

AKELA: The last thing you promised was to obey the law of the pack. This is the law that binds us all together. So let us all now repeat the law of the pack. Will all scouts that are here tonight please stand, give the scout sign and repeat the law of the pack with me.

The Cub Scout follows Akela.

The Cub Scout helps the pack go.

The pack helps the scout grow.

The Cub Scout gives goodwill.

(Akela motions for audience to be seated.)

AKELA: Through the five parts of the Cub Scout promise, you now have the flame of the red flower burning within you. Since you have this flame within you, you no longer need the red flower of your candle to defeat Shere Khan. So blow out your candles now.

(Collect candles.)

AKELA: You are now Bobcats in this pack. You have promised to help other people. Helping other people is called a doing a good turn. So that the pack can see that you are living up to your promise to help other people, we are going to put your bobcat rank on upside down. You may turn your rank around after you have done a good turn. When the pack sees your rank right side up, they will know that you are helping others.

(Akela asks each Cub in turn if he wants to be flipped. If he says yes, Akela and his assistant turn the Cub upside-down while parents' pin on rank.)

AKELA: Pack ! Look well, on your new brothers and know them.

SHERE KHAN: The man-cubs are mine! Give them to me!

AKELA: Silence and be gone evil one! These boys now have the strength of the pack and the secret of the red flower. They have no need to fear you. Pack ! Let us welcome them to the pack with a good wolf howl!